The creative director and champagne expert Dan Roznov — also known as Champagne Spy on social media — shares his own way of enjoying Rosé Champagne, a versatile wine that lends itself to unexpected pairings.
Last night, I did something cheeky. While my wife took our daughter to the cinema to watch The Fantastic Four, I spent my free evening with a fantastic bottle of Prestige Rosé Champagne. Not to just “Netflix and chill” but to cook and explore some creative pairings, without getting judged by the adorable junior food critic in my humble home, usually commenting on my every kitchen move (guess who she got that from). And to celebrate what is, in my humble opinion, the arguably greatest yet most misunderstood style of champagne.
I find it a bit crazy, that most people think Rosé Champagne goes formidably with desserts, chocolate, 5 o’clock tea biscuits or, worse, with strawberries. Mon dieu! This kind of food doesn’t enhance the delicate flavours of Rosé Champagne at all, but dilutes and destroys them. Such a luxurious and not-particularly-cheap wine deserves to be handled with care, wouldn’t you agree?
Some of my fav rosé pairings include spaghetti bolognese, Japanese fried oysters, aloo gobi, feijoada, roast duck, köttbullar, macaroni cheese, boeuf bourguignon, empanadas, beetroot quiche and, of course, my home-cooked lobster-saffron linguine. The trick is to aim for an umami-ish element, fleshy texture and/or elegant spice; it will lift your Rosé Champagne to another level. There are no limitations to your creativity, and I encourage you to be bolder with your food pairings.
It might be the most versatile food companion ever, because you can treat it either like a champagne or more a light red wine. Or both. The best examples are often called bubbly Burgundy, and I think that is a fair statement. If you are lucky enough to have tasted Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2009, you know it is no exaggeration to call it Chambolle-Musigny with bubbles, as I do. By the way, I find the best vintages for Rosé Champagnes are 2004, 2009, 2013 and 2019.
Make no mistake, this sublime wine becomes a magic potion, only if you handle it with care. Give it an hour of air time in the open bottle, in the refridgerator (no decanting, please) and use appropriate premium glasses, with a big big tulip shape. I myself love to use the Riedel Veritas New World Pinot glass; It is my secret weapon. Then enjoy it at 8-12ºC and pair it with the appropriate food. And enjoy it deeply.
I think the very best Rosé Champagnes have the power to unlock another dimension, lying somewhere between wine and champagne. A bit like a Stargate, that opens your senses and transports you to a secret universe where shooting stars full of magic taste explode on your palate, that goes way beyond the mundane words of our worldly wine connoisseur descriptions. It reminds me of the saying: love cannot be seen, but only felt with your heart.
Talking of which, I realise it is late already and my girls will be back home soon. I got carried away in this intense one-glass-rosé moment and I haven’t even cooked anything yet. Blush. But hey, it gives me an excuse to share the rest of this yummy bottle with my wife and to round off the evening. What am I going to pair it with? Certainly not with dessert. Maybe we order a pizza (another one of my fav pairings). Or maybe we will just pair it with love and affection. What could possibly be better than that?
